A Second Chance
by Qelah Sebatyne
Summary: Ever feel like you never have any luck? Well, what if you had the chance to start over... on Dinotopia?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Dinotopia and I don't want to. I have not and will not make any money off this story. Basically, what I'm trying to do is reconcile some of the conflicts between the books and the miniseries. The M rating is for content that will show up in later chapters.

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When the plane I was flying on crashed into the ocean, I thought I would die. But amazingly, I was rescued by dolphins and carried to the shore of an island named Dinotopia.

I had vaguely heard of Dinotopia; an author named James Gurney had claimed to have found the journals of some nineteenth-century explorer detailing his shipwreck and subsequent life on Dinotopia. But the book was published as fiction and, even if it weren't, I would have assumed the whole thing was made up anyway.

So you can imagine my shock when I woke up disoriented on the beach to find a dinosaur leaning over me. Its markings were pink and turquoise stripes, but other than that, it looked something like a big ostrich.

"Wha—what—" I stammered, scuttling backward in the sand.

"Easy, easy," the dinosaur said, reaching a hand toward me. Its voice was squawky, and it had a heavy accent, but with my prior exposure to all manner of foreigners, understanding this one was easy.

"Whoa! You _talk_?" I blurted.

A series of squawks that I took to be laughter emanated from the dinosaur's mouth. "Of course," it said. "My name is Soneera Malat. What's yours?"

Still reeling from the unreality of the situation in which I found myself, I started babbling. "Jennica Martinez. I have an Irish mother and a Mexican father, in case you're wondering. My friends call me Jenni."

Soneera placed its – uh… "Are you male or female?" I asked.

"Female."

Okay, so Soneera placed _her_ hand against mine and said, "Breathe deep."

"Huh? I can breathe fine. I'm just hungry and—"

Soneera made that squawky laugh again. "No, no, you don't understand. 'Breathe deep' is a greeting. In response you're supposed to say 'Seek peace.' So… breathe deep."

"Seek peace," I parroted tentatively. "Uh, excuse me, but what are you?"

"I'm a _Struthiomimus_. My kind are commonly called struthies."

"So… where are we?" I asked, still completely weirded out.

"We're on an island called Dinotopia," Soneera replied. "It is a place where humans like you and saurians like me live together in harmony. We have great cities and sleepy villages, and wonders beyond measure. I think you will like it here."

I decided to ignore the _I think you will like it here_ for the moment. "So… are all, um, saurians as smart as you?"

Soneera laughed. "Yes, of course! Most of them don't speak human language, though. You will pick up Saurian as time goes on."

"Saurian is a language?" I asked, confused. "I like languages. Is it hard?"

"Yes, it's a language. Is it hard? That's hard to say. How many languages do you speak already?"

"English and Spanish, fluently. I've studied a little bit of Arabic and French, but not enough to have a conversation." I shook my head, wondering how I could possibly be having a conversation with a dinosaur.

Soneera touched my arm. "What?" she asked, ignoring my involuntary flinch.

"I just can't believe it, that's all. Dinotopia is actually _real_?"

"Of course it's real—" Soneera stopped. "Wait a minute – are you saying you had _heard _of Dinotopia before you got here?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, sort of. See, there's this author named James Gurney. He wrote a book about it. He said he found some guy's journal, I think. But the book was published as fiction, and I just thought he made it up."

"Whose journal did he find?" Soneera asked, fascinated.

"I don't know. I didn't read the book. I just saw it in the store. Sorry."

"Hmmm…" Soneera tapped her chin in thought. "That's interesting. Does the name Arthur Denison sound familiar?"

I shook my head. "No."

"But you say you didn't read the book? That would be why you haven't heard of him. It must have been Denison's journal your author found. He wrote in one of his later journals that a copy of his first one fell into the sea and vanished. Yes, that must be it. Now let me get this straight – you say that everyone who read the book thought it was fiction?"

"I would assume so, yes."

"That's good to hear. We wouldn't want the outside world hearing about us."

That made me curious. "Why not?"

Soneera sighed. "Please keep in mind that I mean no offense to you. But the fact is, the outside world is dangerous. People lie and cheat and kill each other. In Dinotopia, the saurians have taught the humans to grow beyond such infantile and uncivilized behavior. The humans have given up their wicked ways and their weapons for good. But that means, of course, that we have no weapons to defend ourselves should an outside army attack. Being discovered by the outside world would mean our destruction. For that reason, we cannot risk discovery."

"I understand," I said slowly. "So people are always nice to each other here?"

"I wouldn't say that everyone is always nice. But for the most part, we help each other whenever we can. Cheating and fighting are practically unknown here."

"Hmmm." I smiled up at Soneera, from where I still lay on the ground as she had found me. "So people don't beat each other up here? Must be nice. I'm ready to meet some decent people for a change."

Soneera grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "Come on, let's go meet some of those decent people. I'm on my way to Pooktook to visit my family. I'm sure they'll be glad to meet you. And then when I go home to Waterfall City, I'll take you with me so you can register and begin your education."

"Education? You mean, like a study-abroad program?"

"I have no idea what that means. But leaving is impossible because of the razor reef. No, we wouldn't want you to try to leave, since you'd just end up dead. We welcome all dolphinbacks with open arms, since we know that you're here for the rest of your life. But don't think of it as being 'stuck' here, since things are much better on Dinotopia than anywhere else. We all help new arrivals, and the first thing I can do to help you is take you to Pooktook. Come on, climb on my back and let's go."

I took a moment to think about that. I didn't know what a razor reef was, but it sounded bad. But did that really mean I couldn't go home? Was _that_ what she meant by "I think you will like it here?" The thought was horrifying, but I couldn't see any reason to believe that Soneera was lying, if what she said about people being nice was true. Well, okay. If I couldn't go home, I better start adjusting to life around here. Then I forgot my predicament as my brain caught up to the last thing Soneera had said: _Come on, climb on my back and let's go. _My eyebrows went north as my jaw dropped. "You want me to ride you?" I asked in disbelief.

Soneera smiled. "Of course. We saurians carry humans all the time. Besides, in your condition, you couldn't possibly walk all that way. We're still ten miles outside of Pooktook."

_Wow,_ I thought as I climbed onto Soneera's back. _This is just about the coolest thing ever. I can't worry about going home now, not when I'm having an adventure a lot of people would kill for._ I held onto her shoulders, and she began to walk. I quickly adjusted to the way she moved, and rolled with her as she walked.

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Please read and review. Flames welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Dinotopia and I don't want to. I have not and will not make any money off this story. Basically what I'm trying to do is reconcile some of the conflicts between the books and the miniseries. The M rating is for material to appear in later chapters.

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When Soneera carried me into Pooktook a couple of hours later, the sight simply took my breath away. A cobblestone street threaded its way past myriad grand, colorful buildings. Saurians of every shape and size milled about, talking to humans, looking at the wares of street vendors, and just hanging out. There were many humans too, doing all the things you would expect people to do in a city – except the bad stuff, that is.

"Wow. This is the most amazing city I have ever seen!" I breathed, clinging to Soneera's neck.

She laughed. "This is nothing! Wait until you see Waterfall City. If you think Pooktook is amazing, Waterfall City will really knock your scales off."

I looked around, eyes wide. Waterfall City was even more amazing? I couldn't believe that there could ever be a place cooler than Pooktook, even on Dinotopia. The people's clothes, the saurians, the buildings, the items the street vendors were selling – all joined together in a riot of color.

In front of a nearby building, a young man and a young woman sat on the steps, holding each other and kissing. It wasn't what they were doing that captured my attention; it was just that the man's clothes would have been considered a fashion felony back home in America. He wore a lavender shirt, navy blue pants, and a pink and red vest. His girlfriend wore a strange outfit, too, but it was nowhere near as outrageous as his.

"Whoa," I said softly to Soneera, "you guys sure have a unique sense of style here. If anyone dressed that way where I come from, they'd be laughed right off the planet."

Soneera turned her head to look at me. "You can dress any way you want here. The more color, the better. How do your people dress at home?"

I shrugged. "Like me, I guess." I gestured toward my gray midriff shirt that said "Cutie" on the front and my blue jeans. "People who wear bright colors are considered weird."

"Getting dressed must be boring for you," Soneera said. "Look at what some of the saurians are wearing."

I looked. Saurians everywhere wore all manner of jewelry, scarves and decorations. Big guys who had bony plates sticking out of their backs wore everything from gold caps to pieces of flowered fabric attached to their plates. A long-necked guy who was as big as a house wore some kind of sleeve around his neck that had streamers and even bells hanging from it. I even saw a small dinosaur wearing a shimmering cloak that changed colors depending on how the sun hit it.

I pointed these saurians out to Soneera and asked what they were. She told me that the plate-backs were stegosaurs, the long-neck was a brachiosaur, and the little guy was a _Compsognathus_.

Suddenly, a long, low saurian who had a lot of spikes and things sticking out of his back and had a tail that looked like a lethal weapon came up and started squawking and honking at Soneera. I thought the new guy was a little scary-looking, so I was glad I was still perched safely on Soneera's back.

The two of them began squawking back and forth, and I began to realize they were talking to each other. I listened a little more closely and realized that the squawks were actually words, though I couldn't understand them.

They were simply speaking what was, to me, a foreign language.

After a moment Soneera remembered to translate. "This is Moktau," she said. "She's a _Euplocephalus_ – a good friend of mine. We went to school together. She wishes you welcome to Dinotopia, and she's glad to meet you."

I looked from Soneera to Moktau and back again. "Um, hi," I said awkwardly to the _Euplocephalus_. "I'm sorry; I don't speak your language."

"That's okay," Moktau said, through Soneera. "You'll learn it gradually. You're a dolphinback, I assume?"

"Um, I guess so." I hadn't been here long enough to know whether or not the term "dolphinback" was insulting.

Soneera saw the look on my face and explained. "Anyone who comes to us by ship or plane wreck is called a dolphinback. It's not an insult – it's just a way of saying where you came from, like saying someone is English."

"Oh. Okay." I relaxed instantly, relieved that this wasn't just another racial slur like the many that had been routinely flung at me back home.

While I was mulling this over, Soneera and Moktau began to walk. I went along for the ride, since I was still on Soneera's back. The two of them were talking in Saurian, so I just looked around, gawking at the towers and domes on the buildings. The architecture here seemed to be a mix of all the styles of the outside world with a few native designs thrown in, all jumbled together. The result was a city of astonishing beauty, the likes of which I had never seen before.

The other thing about Pooktook that took my breath away was the sheer _size_ of everything. All the buildings were built with doors high enough for the most enormous dinosaurs to walk through without ducking. The streets were at least twice as wide as those in my hometown.

A few minutes later, Soneera and Moktau stopped in front of a building that looked like a house. The saurians said a few more words to each other, and Moktau squawked at me. Then she turned and disappeared down the street.

"This is my house," Soneera said. "You can get down now." I slid to the ground and flexed my legs, which were stiff from riding. Soneera stretched too, and I got the impression that I had started to get a bit heavy, even though she was so much bigger than I was.

Soneera opened the door and led me into the house. She squawked something, and four struthies of various sizes hurried into the room. They all had pink and turquoise markings similar to Soneera's, so I figured that they were her family.

I stood off to the side and watched as they embraced and entwined necks with each other. When they had finished greeting each other, Soneera took my hand and pulled me to her side. She said something in Saurian. Then, in my language, she said, "These are my family. My mother is Amara, and my father is Halroon. This one is my brother, Marsavo, and the little one is my sister, Keelkaru."

Amara stepped forward and said something, which Soneera translated as, "Breathe deep, seek peace. Welcome to Dinotopia and our home. We're glad to have you, and I'm sure the children will enjoy showing you around."

"Thank you." And to Soneera, I hissed, "When can I start learning Saurian?"

She laughed. "Just listen for now. You'll probably pick up a few words. I'll start teaching you tomorrow."

At that moment Keelkaru grabbed both my hands, bouncing up and down. "Want to play?" I understood her because she attempted to speak human, though she was nowhere near as good as Soneera.

"Sure. Wait – you speak my language?" I blurted.

"She's learning," Soneera said. "She wants to be an historical scholar when she grows up, like me. I work in the library at Waterfall City, studying and translating ancient texts of many languages into both Saurian and human. I think Keelkaru's going to be more into archaelogy, so she'll probably go into paleo-linguistics even more than I have."

"When I grow up, I try to find Poseidos," Keelkaru piped up. "I learn languages so I talk to ghosts."

I laughed, and Soneera rolled her eyes. "Keelkaru thinks she's going to find the ghost of King Ogthar in Poseidos," she said. "I don't think the place is haunted, and besides, Poseidos is under water, so she'll have a scale-curdling time getting there."

"What's Poseidos?" I asked, trying desperately not to get lost in this conversation. "And why is it under water?"

"Poseidos was one of the earliest civilizations in Dinotopia. Actually, it was an island. King Ogthar was their last leader. The old scrolls don't agree on what role he played in history. Some say he was the great leader of the World Beneath and brought the saurians through the Dark Time, but others say he was an evil jerk who tried to replace the natural world with machines. But anyway, the island sank hundreds of years ago, and the story has been the source of many legends."

"Oh." Before I had a chance to ask more questions, Keelkaru called, "Come on. We go outside." She grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the back of the house. Soneera and the rest of her family followed.

Keelkaru led me into a spacious backyard filled with fruit trees and other tropical vegetation. She took me on a whirlwind tour of the yard, squawking the Saurian names of the plants as we passed. When we came to a tree heavy with large orange fruit, Keelkaru leaped in the air and picked one. She handed it to me and said, "Eat."

I tried to bite into it, but couldn't, so I handed it to Soneera. She used her claws to peel it and then handed it back. I took a bite and a fresh, sweet taste filled my mouth. Juice dripped down my chin.

"Mmmm, this is good," I said, wiping my face. "What is it?"

Soneera replied with some unpronounceable Saurian name, so I shrugged and ate the rest of it. Now that I was finally eating, I realized how hungry I was. When Soneera peeled another one and gave it to me, I ate that one too.

Amara had me sample several other things that grew in her garden, and they were all very good. The result of this introduction to Dinotopian cuisine was that by the time the sun was setting, and Amara called us in for dinner, my hunger was satiated enough that I didn't eat like a ravenous pig at the table. I did eat much more than I usually do at a meal, but my portion was still no bigger than Keelkaru's, since she was the only one who was as small as I was.

When dinner was finished and bedtime came, Soneera took me upstairs to her room. It had one large nest-like bed in it, so I wondered where I was going to sleep. I found out when Soneera motioned for me to climb in. I did, thinking I would be cold without any covers. But this turned out to be a groundless worry, because Soneera climbed in beside me, and her weight caused me to slide down the side of the nest so that I rested comfortably against her. I could tell instantly that Soneera's body heat was enough for both of us. I fell asleep, knowing that I wouldn't be cold at all.

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Please read and review. Flames welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Dinotopia and I don't want to. I have not and will not make any money off this story. Basically what I'm trying to do is reconcile some of the conflicts between the books and the miniseries. The M rating is for material to appear in later chapters.

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By the time Soneera and I left for Waterfall City three days later, I had picked up the bare basics of Saurian. There were still a lot of words I didn't know, of course, but I had the basics of sentence structure and the present tense down. Then there was the matter of pronunciation. My accent was terrible, and I knew it, but Soneera and her family were enough used to the way that I butchered their language that they could understand me most of the time. Keelkaru loved to share her knowledge, so Soneera had let her be my primary teacher. That decision had paid off; I had learned more from Keelkaru than I probably would have from Soneera, simply because Keelkaru spoke less human. Having a teacher who didn't speak my language very well forced me to use Saurian, so I wasn't held back by constant translation.

While we walked along, Soneera said, "So, tell me about your family back home." She said it in Saurian, so I tried to respond, but ended up reverting to my own language after about five minutes because I simply didn't have the vocabulary to continue.

"Well," I replied, "I have a mom, a dad, and younger sister. My dad is a computer geek and—"

"A what?" Soneera interrupted.

"Oh. Uh, how can I explain this? Well, we have machines called computers that… Oh, gosh, I don't know. I guess you can say they work like the human brain. They can store information – but not on paper – and can do calculations and stuff. Anyway, my dad works with computers. He fixes them and writes the programs – uh, creates their brainwaves, I guess – so businesses can use them to keep track of just about everything. And my mom's a veterinarian – a doctor that takes care of animals."

"Aren't humans animals?" asked Soneera.

"Yeah. But you know what I mean. Oh, maybe you don't. What I mean is that she takes care of _non-human_ animals."

"Saurians?" she teased.

I laughed. "Yeah, right. I wish. Her patients are dogs and cats, mostly. She has some cows and goats and things too."

"Cogs and dats and what? I've never heard of any of those animals."

"_C_ats and _d_ogs," I corrected. "And cows and goats. Dogs and cats are pe – I mean, animal companions – and cows and goats are farm animals."

"Animal companions? Is that like having a saurian partner?"

"Sort of, I guess. But dogs and cats are nowhere near as smart as saurians."

"And what do those other animals – what were they called again? – do on farms? Do they help plow the fields?"

"Back in the old days, they used to. But now they are mainly kept for milk and meat."

"Kept? Against their will, you mean?" I could tell that Soneera found the idea revolting.

"Well, yeah, I guess," I said, feeling awkward. "But it's not like they have enough brains to know the difference."

"And what was that about meat? Please don't tell me your people actually kill other animals for food."

I gulped. "Uh, well, most people don't. They buy it from the store all ready to cook. But, yes, as a species, we do eat other animals."

Soneera made a gagging noise. "Ugh. In Dinotopia only carnosaurs do that. The humans have long since forsaken such barbaric behavior. Most humans do eat fish, though. Their nutritional needs require that. But eating fish is nowhere near as offensive as eating the flesh of a reptile or mammal. But still, _I_ would never eat a fish!"

"Okay, okay, I get the picture!" I said hastily. "I'm here now. I don't eat meat anymore."

Soneera was silent for a few moments, so I took the opportunity to observe the flora that we passed. It was tropical, so the palm trees and the ferns were the only things I could identify. I knew quite a bit about the plants in my region back home, but that was a temperate deciduous forest environment, so tropical vegetation was not my area of expertise.

I saw several small rodent-like things that could have been mammals scurrying about, but none of them resembled the squirrels or chipmunks and stuff that I was familiar with. The little animals darted from the cover of one huge leaf to another, apparently looking for food. I was beginning to get the impression that the intelligent inhabitants of Dinotopia weren't the only ones who were prehistoric.

After a few moments, Soneera said, "Tell me about your sister."

"Her name's Vanessa," I replied. "She's only sixteen, so she's still in high school. She can't wait to graduate – I can empathize, because I couldn't wait to get out either. I don't think she has any idea what college she wants to go to or what she wants to major in. Her main love is playing lacrosse – she got all the athletic ability in our family. Oh, and she has a boyfriend – she has all the luck that way, too."

Soneera shook her head. "Sometimes I think you're speaking a language I've never studied. I didn't understand a word of what you just said."

"Sorry. I guess you have to have certain cultural references to know what I'm talking about."

Soneera nodded. "I suppose so. Tell me, what would your life have been like if you hadn't ended up here?"

"Well, I just graduated from college this spring," I replied. "I majored in education with English as my concentration. I was going to start a master's degree program in speech pathology this fall, but… Well, I was on my way to visit a cousin who was studying abroad, when my plane fell out of the sky and I washed up here."

"Do you miss your home?" Soneera asked gently. I noticed that she did not make any more comments about understanding what I was talking about, though I suspected that she didn't understand any more of what I said than she could before she made that comment.

"Parts of it, yeah. I miss my family. But mostly I wish I could bring them here. I've only been here three days, and already I can tell things are better here. And of course, having dinosaurs – excuse me, saurians – a normal part of everyday life is just about the coolest thing ever."

"The _coolest_ thing ever?" Soneera repeated. "What's that mean?"

"Oh. 'Cool' is a slang word where I come from. Something that's cool is interesting, exotic, new, that sort of thing."

"I see," Soneera said. "You have a lot of slang in your dialect, don't you?"

"Yeah, loads of it. Oops, here I go again. I mean, a _lot_ of it. And it's so pervasive in our language that half the time we use slang words and don't even realize it." I paused. "What about your family? I mean, I've met them. But can you tell me more about them?"

"Of course," Soneera replied pleasantly. "My mother, Amara, is a gardener. You saw the impressive garden she keeps in her backyard. She maintains many others around the city as well. It's been said that the best gardens in and around Pooktook were designed and are maintained by Amara Malat. My father, Halroon, is a healer. He specializes in herbal remedies for bacterial infections. He has developed several that have saved many lives, both human and saurian alike."

"What about Marsavo and Keelkaru?" I asked.

"Marsavo wants to follow in his mother's footsteps, to some extent, at least. He's more adventurous, though. He wants to explore the Rainy Basin to find exotic plants to further beautify people's gardens. He'll be able to start doing that in about three years when he finishes his education." Soneera paused to take a drink from a nearby stream.

I was thirsty too, so I slid off her back and took a drink myself. As I did so, I was aware that this would have been dangerous back home because of the pollution, but here in Dinotopia even water just flowing beside the road – er, trail, was sweet and delicious.

After having drunk my fill, I decided to walk for awhile, so I took my place beside Soneera and tried to keep pace, even though I had to take almost three steps to match one of hers. Soneera politely slowed down so I could keep up.

As we walked along, I asked, "Now, you said Keelkaru wants to be a scholar like you, right?"

"Basically, yes," Soneera replied. "As I said when you first met her, she seems to be more into archaeology and paleo-linguistics than I am. I'm more into scholarly writing, so the things that I study aren't quite that old. But Keelkaru's still basically a little kid, so that could easily change."

"Yeah, it certainly could," I agreed. "She seems to have a talent for teaching, so she may decide to go that route when she's older. She certainly taught me effectively."

"Did she?" Soneera teased. "You reverted to your language about two hours ago."

I laughed. "That's true, I did. But she only had three days! It takes a lot more than three days to learn a language, you know. Oh, well, I guess I need some total immersion."

"You'll get that in Waterfall City," Soneera said. "Oh, yes, did I tell you that you're going to be staying with me while you study? You'll have your own room now, though. And yes, the bed has blankets, so you won't be cold."

"Cool," I replied. I really liked Soneera.

"Cool? Actually, the blankets will keep you quite warm."

"Not that kind of 'cool,'" I said, laughing. "I mean the other kind."

"Oh, right, of course. Cool, as in interesting and exotic. Speaking of exotic, I'll teach you how to eat the Dinotopian way."

"Do humans and saurians pretty much eat the same way?"

"If you don't count the carnosaurs, yes. But saurians and humans each have their own preferences and delicacies. You'll have to try the Dining Commons and the City Square Café. They both serve excellent, quintessentially Dinotopian food."

"Cool," I said. "Is Waterfall City called that because it has a waterfall in it?"

Soneera cracked up. "Not just one waterfall," she said. "I can't wait to see the look on your face the first time you see it. Come on, we're almost there." She took my hand and hurried me along, toward whatever wonders awaited us in the mysterious Waterfall City.

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Please read and review. Flames welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Dinotopia and I don't want to. I have not and will not make any money off this story. Basically what I'm trying to do is reconcile some of the conflicts between the books and the miniseries. The M rating is for material to appear in later chapters.

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Soneera led me around one last curve in the road. We found ourselves on the top of a bluff, overlooking Waterfall City.

It was so beautiful that all I could do was stare. Dozens of words like "wow" and "amazing" tumbled over each other in my brain as my eyes drank in the wondrous sight. When Soneera had said there was more than one waterfall in the city, that was the understatement of the millennium.

Waterfall City didn't just have waterfalls; it _was_ waterfalls. The city was built on one large or several small islands in the middle of a wide river. The island or islands served as a most spectacular dam; hundreds of millions of gallons of water cascaded through and around the city in thunderous torrents that roared down dozens of enormous waterfalls before continuing on down river. The falling water threw up such a spray that the entire city was cloaked in mists that made the atmosphere that of an idyllic fairy tale.

The city itself was built primarily of stone. There were towers, pyramids and domes that heralded from every corner of the earth. These great architectural masterpieces must have been on the official buildings, since most of the buildings of the city were fairly low. There were none of the ugly skyscrapers that dominated the cities of the outside world. Through the mists I could see hundreds of trees and green open spaces among the buildings. The boundary of the city was at the wall that separated the living area inside from the water outside.

Even where we stood, on the bluff across the way, the spray flew up and got us wet. Excited, I moved to the edge of the bluff, held my arms out, and allowed the world's largest natural "sprinkler" to soak me. As I did so, I continued to gaze at Waterfall City. I hadn't even entered the city gates yet, but already I could tell it was a city of dreams.

For quite a few minutes, Soneera stood back and let me observe. Finally she placed a hand on my shoulder and said quietly, "Come on. I'll show you how to get into the city now."

I tore my gaze away from the city, reminding myself that soon I would actually be _inside_ that marvelous place. Soneera led me to a tunnel that actually ran _behind_ the waterfall on its way to the city.

Looking out and seeing that enormous curtain of water from the inside was really the coolest thing of all. Here the water sprayed backward in addition to falling straight down and drenched us again. Feeling like a little kid, I ran around Soneera, dodging stalactites and stalagmites, splashing in puddles and laughing like a hyena. Soneera just shook her head and chuckled gently at my antics, allowing me to luxuriate in the joy of this wonderful place.

After a few minutes of frolicking, I stopped and leaned, panting, against Soneera's side. My brain may have felt like a little kid, but I no longer had the energy of a four-year-old. Soneera tousled my hair playfully. "Come on," she said. "I'll give you a quick tour of the city before I have to get to the library. I'll show you where I live and then you'll be on your own to explore."

"Okay." I followed Soneera another thirty yards or so through the tunnel, and then we emerged into Waterfall City itself. As I looked around, the roar of the falls thundering in my ears, all I could say was one simple word.

"Wow," I breathed.

If looking at Waterfall City from the outside was breathtaking, actually being inside the city was – well, I don't think there's a word in _any_ language that describes it. Suffice to say I must have looked like a stun-boggled tourist.

Humans and saurians swirled up and down the cobblestone streets, swept up in the merry dance of life. Everywhere I looked people seemed happy and carefree, honest and trustworthy. The whole _tone_ of life was different here – the very air had a positive ring to it. I had felt this tone – what Soneera called "the heartbeat of the earth" – in Pooktook as well, but here in Waterfall City I sensed it much more strongly.

Somehow I had a feeling that this was a special place. Okay, I knew it was in general, but I was now struck by a feeling that this would be a special place for me personally – that something truly wonderful and life-changing would take place here.

I followed Soneera along a network of streets; each corner revealed new wonders. After the first five minutes I was totally turned around, but I was too busy participating in Soneera's "heartbeat of the earth" to care.

Seven or eight turns later – I had long since lost count – we stepped onto a quiet residential street. Soneera opened a door at ground level and said, "This is my home. I'll show you your room and then I have to go."

The house we entered was rather saurian in proportion. It was big, but not big enough for a brachiosaur. Soneera pointed out the kitchen and living rooms, allowed me to peek into her room, and then ushered me into what was to be my room.

The room was fairly small, built more for humans than for saurians. The furnishings were simple but tasteful. There was a human-style bed, a chest of drawers, and a desk. A door hung open revealing an empty closet.

Soneera went and picked up a neatly folded pile of fabric lying on the bed. "I have a gift for you," she said. "Your first Dinotopian clothing." She deposited the pile in my hands.

"Cool," I said. "Thanks." I shook out the pile, and half of it landed on the floor. "Oops." I put the half in my hand on the bed and picked up the other half. It was a pair of pants that, at first glance, appeared navy blue, but as I let it swing in the breeze, the color swirled through a riot of pinks, purples and blues depending on how the sun hit it. The pants, I noticed, ended in cuffs trimmed by sky-blue lace.

"Wow, gorgeous," I whispered. Intrigued, I put the pants down and picked up the shirt. Made of the same material, it had a square neckline and puffy sleeves that ended in ruffles trimmed with the same sky-blue lace. Beaming, I looked at Soneera. "May I put it on?"

"Of course! I'll be in the living room when you come out." She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Excited, I shed my American clothes and put on the Dinotopian outfit. To my amazement, it was a perfect fit. I checked my reflection in the mirror – the outfit was very flattering – and danced out of the room.

Soneera looked up from a book when I entered the living room. "Very nice," she said approvingly. "The seamstress did a great job."

"How did you know what size to get?" I asked.

Soneera smiled. "I'm good at knowing things. As I think you are."

"Huh?" I had no idea what she was talking about.

"I saw it on your face when we entered the city. You know this is going to be a sacred place for you. Something very special will happen to you here that will change your life – something that you have been waiting for."

I frowned. "What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

"I don't know. But I think we'll both find out, don't you?"

I shrugged, sure that Soneera had eaten an extra bowl of weird for breakfast. I _had_ felt something when we entered the city, but I was sure it was just that "heartbeat of the earth" business. On the other hand, just because nothing wonderful had ever happened to me in my life before, that didn't mean precedents could not be broken. Waterfall City was, after all, a city of dreams. The city of _my _dreams? Certainly. But the city of my destiny? Maybe. I would just have to wait and see.

"I have to go to the library now," Soneera said, breaking in on my reverie. "I'll be back in time to get dinner. I'm a great cook, you know. But while I'm gone, why don't you go out into the city and start seeking your destiny?"

"I'll go exploring," I replied, "but I don't know what you're talking about with all this destiny business."

Soneera smiled. "I don't either, but you will know it when you find it." With that Soneera kissed my forehead and walked out the door.

Astonished, I found myself staring at the closed door.

"What the heck?" I shook myself, then muttered, "Well, I might as well go out there and look around. But it's not like I think my destiny is knocking at the door or anything. Maybe I'll get to try some more Dinotopian food."

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out the door, making sure it closed tightly behind me. Dinotopians didn't use locks, but that didn't mean I wanted to leave the door hanging open either. I took a few tentative steps down the street, keenly aware that this was the first time I was outside alone in this still foreign country. Before, I had always had either Soneera or Keelkaru to look after me. Well, now I had to look after myself. I just hoped I wouldn't get lost.

I started my exploration by taking short walks away from Soneera's house, each time returning to the door before I set out again. This way I began to get a sense of how the city was laid out.

By the time I set out on my third such foray, it was getting to be mid-afternoon, and I was hungry, so when I smelled food I followed my nose to a street vendor offering tempting finger foods.

A pleasant-looking blonde girl was manning the booth. "Hi," I said, "I'm hungry. How do I go about getting something to eat?"

"Do you have anything to trade?" the girl asked.

"Uh, no, I'm new here. I haven't quite figured out your barter system yet."

"Oh, well, breathe deep, then. And take some food, please. You won't ever figure it out if you starve before you have the chance."

"Seek peace, and thank you." I selected a mixture of fruits and vegetables, bid good day to the good-natured girl, and continued on my way.

Two or three more turns and a delicious salad later, I found myself standing at the end of the block overlooking what had to be the City Square Café. About seven steps led down to a lower level, where tables and chairs were occupied by dozens of humans and saurians enjoying an afternoon snack.

Fascinated, I rested my left hand on the wall of the nearest building and watched the Dinotopian social scene. Not knowing quite why, I scanned the throng of people and saurians, taking in their colorful clothing. Smiling, I remembered that I was now dressed like them.

My eyes came to rest on one man out of the thousands before me. I don't know what it was about him that first captured my attention. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed to be taller than any other human in the vicinity. Maybe it was because he was the first person I had consciously noticed since my arrival who was as dark as I was. Maybe it was the strange uniform he was wearing. I don't know. But whatever it was, I felt my heart beating faster, but I had no idea what I would say if I ever met him. Not that I had to worry about that anyway.

I had been watching this handsome stranger for several minutes when he suddenly turned toward me. His eyes met mine. I sucked in my breath.

Panicked, I took a couple of steps back and pressed myself to the wall, where I could observe without being seen. He seemed to look around for me, but when he couldn't find me he shrugged and walked off in the opposite direction.

Whew. That was close. Without giving myself time to think, I turned and ran back the way I had come. When I was several blocks away from the café, I sat down on the edge of a fountain to catch my breath. I gave myself several minutes to calm down before I took a deep breath and headed back to the café by another route. Maybe if I had a nice, warm, cup of tea, all this would make more sense.

I descended the stairs to the café, where I selected a table and sat down. Almost immediately, a saurian waiter came over and said, "Breathe deep, miss. May I get you something to drink?"

Struggling to express myself in Saurian, I said, haltingly, "Do you have… tea?"

"Certainly," replied the saurian. "We have twenty-seven different kinds." At least, I think the number was twenty-seven.

"Uh… the house special?" I asked, mortified by my accent.

"Of course, right away," the saurian said, and bustled away.

While I waited for my tea, I watched a group of human and saurian children running around playing a game, the rules of which I had no way to decipher. All I could tell was that it involved a lot of running and shouting.

A few minutes later, the waiter brought my tea. I took it and sniffed at it, wondering what I had gotten myself into. The "house special" could have been anything. When I got up the nerve to try it, I was relieved to find that it was rather good – sweet and a little bit spicy.

I sat sipping my tea, inhaling the steam, trying to feel the "heartbeat of the earth." It wasn't easy. Now that I was out here alone, I couldn't help but feel the full brunt of the culture shock. Soneera was no longer here to help me, and I suspected that I would screw up and look like an idiot more times than I cared to think about. _Still_, I reminded myself, _this is Dinotopia. Being different isn't so bad here. The people here will understand and help me._

"Excuse me, may I sit down?"

I spun around so fast I almost spilled my tea. Then I almost dropped it anyway.

The person addressing me was the uniformed man I had seen here earlier. _Oh, good lord._ Utterly tongue-tied, I gestured to an empty seat, and the man sat down.

I took another sip of my tea, observing him over the rim of my cup. He made eye contact with me again, and my heart began racing so fast I thought I would hyperventilate. My mind was thrumming like a plucked rubber band.

"My name is Oonu Ngossi." His deep bass voice cut through the haze in my brain. "What's yours?"

I swallowed another gulp of tea and set the cup down, trying to keep my hand from shaking. _Come on, vocal cords, work!_ I ordered desperately. I tried to reply, but all that came out was a pitiful squeak that I disguised as a cough. I tried again. "Jenni," I managed to croak.

"Breathe deep," he said.

I took a deep breath. At least this was familiar, and my voice worked better now. "Seek peace."

"Where are you from?"

My mind began to clear. This question finally gave me something to think about other than his dark, velvet brown eyes. "I'm from a suburb of Richmond," I said. "I've only been in Dinotopia three days. I just arrived in Waterfall City this afternoon."

"Richmond? I'm sorry, I don't think I've heard of it. Where is it?"

"It's in Virginia, which is in the United States. I'm a dolphinback," I clarified.

"I see," Oonu said thoughtfully. "Have you had much chance to explore the city yet?"

"Not really," I replied. "Soneera, the saurian I'm staying with, has showed me a little, but she had to go back to work. She's busy. She works in the library."

"I know who she is, though I don't know her personally. Have you seen the library yet?"

"Not yet. But I think she's going to take me there tomorrow."

"Tell you what," Oonu said. "I'm off tonight. Would you like me to show you around? There's a circus performance just outside the city tonight. We could go."

My heart started pounding again. I couldn't believe my good luck. A mixture of excitement and panic fluttered around like a flock of bats in my brain. Making an effort to keep my voice even, I said, "Sure. That sounds great."

He smiled. It made his face shine almost like those "sunstones" Keelkaru had been going on about during our Saurian lessons. At this point I had yet to see one.

At that moment the waiter came over with a tray full of delicacies. Oonu and I each selected two or three things, and we ate in silence for several minutes.

When we finished our food, Oonu said, "If we go now, I'll have time to show you a few things, and then we'll get to the circus on time."

"Okay, sure." I stood up and walked with him out of the café. As we walked, he pointed out various storefronts and services that I knew I would eventually find useful.

After we had gone several blocks, Oonu offered me his hand. Heart pounding, I took it. My small hand almost disappeared inside his big one. The tingling sensation went all the way up to my shoulder.

A few minutes later we rounded a corner and I found myself gazing up at a tall tower. Its shape and the light emanating from its top reminded me of a lighthouse, except that it was in the middle of the city, where there were no boats to be found.

"Would you like to see the prime sunstone?" Oonu asked. "It's the largest, most perfect sunstone in all of Dinotopia."

"Sure. What exactly are sunstones anyway?"

"Sunstones are our sources of power. They provide light and power to all of Dinotopia. They are often used to send messages over long distances. Many people also believe that they are what protects us from the carnosaurs, but to the best of my knowledge, that is false."

"Where do sunstones come from?"

"No one knows for sure," Oonu replied. "But legend says they were mined from the World Beneath. About a hundred thirty years ago, the explorer Arthur Denison found some evidence that supports that theory."

I didn't know what the World Beneath was, but I decided to save that question for the library. By this time, we had reached the bottom of the tower. Oonu opened the door, and we stepped through.

Before us lay an empty room, the only feature of which was the stairway leading up. I looked up and saw that the staircase was an endless spiral, like those I had seen in lighthouses back home. We started up, and our footsteps echoed in the empty chamber.

By the time we reached the top, some three or four hundred steps later, I was breathless from the exertion, while Oonu had hardly broken a sweat. I found this slightly embarrassing, since he seemed to be somewhere between ten and fifteen years older than I.

The staircase ended at a closed door. Oonu opened it.

"Whoa." I staggered backward, dazzled by the brilliance. The sunstone shone as bright as the sun, though it was softer in its character. Oonu steadied me with a gentle hand on my back, and for an instant his arm was around my waist, a simple fact that sent my already thrumming nerves straight off the Richter scale.

I opened my eyes, and found that they had adjusted enough that I could focus on the sunstone. "Wow, that's amazing. Too bad electric lights were never that neat."

_Bonnng! Bonnng! Bonnng!_

The sound was of a bell ringing in the distance. I turned in its direction and looked out the window of the tower, but I could not tell where it was coming from.

"That's the circus bell," Oonu explained. "They are announcing the opening of the doors for the show. Let's go." We left the sunstone chamber, closed the door behind us, and hurried down the stairs.

Out on the street, we joined a throng of people headed in the direction from which the sound of the bell had come. The procession led us back behind the waterfall, where Soneera and I had entered the city that afternoon. Before long, we reached the far side of the river and the circus gates, where human and saurian clowns – at least, I guess they were clowns – said "Breathe, deep, seek peace" to everyone who entered.

Oonu and I made our way into the stands and took seats about halfway back. Ten minutes later, when everyone was seated, an old man with wild gray hair walked into the ring and addressed the audience.

"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and saurians. Breathe deep, seek peace. Welcome to Maxim's Cavalcade of Wonders. As many of you know, my grandfather was the illustrious Maxim who founded our troupe. While I can never hope to have the stature of my dear, departed grandfather, I try my best to carry on his tradition and to honor his legacy. Our performers are looking forward to entertaining you tonight. We hope you enjoy the show."

Maxim's grandson left the stage, the lights dimmed, and the show began. Part of a throng of delighted spectators, Oonu and I cheered for the dancers, gasped at the risks taken by amazing aerialists, and laughed at the antics of the clowns. The groups who performed were made up of humans, saurians, and to my surprise, sabertooth tigers, whom I heard someone refer to as "Smilodons."

The show was a spectacular of balance, strength, agility and sheer guts. Some of the acts, such as the one in which a man stood on his tippy toes on the head of a wildly dancing brachiosaur, defied the imagination.

At some point during the earthshaking, supercharged cacophony of the show, Oonu slipped his arm around my waist – slowly, tentatively, as if he wasn't sure he wanted me to notice. Well, I did notice, and a few minutes later, I found myself leaning against him with my head resting on his shoulder.

When the show ended, we were swept up in a wild standing ovation for the performers. Everyone in the audience was on their feet, clapping, stomping, cheering, honking, whatever. Hundreds of humans and saurians at their noisiest created such a clamor that I suspected we might hear a complaint or two from the cemetery, if there was one nearby.

As the crowd broke up, Oonu asked me, "Do you know how to get home?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted.

"Okay, not a problem," he said. "I'll walk you home. I know what street the library staff lives on."

Hand in hand, we headed back to the heart of the city. After we turned onto Soneera's street, I stopped in front of her door. I turned to Oonu. "Thank you for showing me around," I said. "I really enjoyed the circus."

He smiled. "My pleasure." He surprised me again by taking me in his arms. "I have to leave the city tomorrow morning. But I'm in Waterfall City for a day or two each week, so I'll come see you next time I'm here."

"What do you do for a job?" I asked.

"I'm a skybax rider," he replied. Seeing the blank look on my face, he explained further. "I work with a giant pterosaur called a skybax. We fly all over Dinotopia, delivering messages, escorting caravans, and patrolling the island."

"_Awesome_," I said in amazement. "That must be the coolest thing in the entire world."

"It's the greatest thing I've ever experienced. Well, almost." Oonu paused. "I have to get going now, but I'll see you soon. Breathe deep."

"Seek peace."

He kissed me on the forehead and then disappeared silently down the street.

Feeling like I was well on my way to turning into a carbonated soda, I floated through Soneera's front door. Immediately, the fragrance of the supper I had missed washed over me. I was _hungry_.

I went and knocked on Soneera's bedroom door.

"Come in," she called.

I opened the door and went in, feeling totally awkward. Why I had missed dinner was going to be awfully hard to explain. "Um, hi. Can I have something to eat?"

Soneera turned to look at me. "What?" she teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You forget to eat dinner?"

"Um, no. I mean, yes. Well, sort of. All I had were some appetizers."

"Oh? And what have you been up to?"

"Nothing. I went to the circus performance. It was amazing."

"I see," Soneera said. "Whom did you go with?"

"No one," I replied, a little too quickly. The last thing I needed was to have Soneera teasing me over this. "Now, can I have something to eat, or are you going to make fun of me all night?"

Soneera rolled her eyes. It looked really weird on her saurian face. "Of course you can have something to eat. And whenever you feel like telling me the other half of your story, I'll be listening."

"There _is_ no 'other half,'" I mumbled, walking out of the room. I found the dinner Soneera had prepared in the icebox. I didn't know how to heat it up without an electric range like the one I had grown up with, so I ate it cold. Even then, it was really good.

Having eaten my fill, I retired to my room, but I was too wound up to sleep. My mind was buzzing with questions, both about Dinotopia and about the shocking turn my personal life had taken. The cultural questions, anyway, could be answered by a trip to the library. The other questions would have to wait a week before they could be addressed. I decided to beg Soneera to take me to the library with her tomorrow so I could do some research. Then I finally fell asleep.

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Please read and review. Flames welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Dinotopia and I don't want to. I have not and will not make any money off this story. Basically what I'm trying to do is reconcile some of the conflicts between the books and the miniseries. The M rating is for material to appear in later chapters.

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The next morning I awoke shortly after dawn, which was unusual, since I was not traditionally a morning person. I lay in bed for a few minutes, thinking about the night before. Now that the sun was streaming through my window, it was hard to believe all that stuff had actually happened.

I got out of bed and put my Dinotopian outfit back on. When I arrived in the kitchen, Soneera was already there, preparing breakfast.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"Morning," I replied, as I sat down at the table. "Sorry I missed dinner last night."

Soneera set plates on the table and took her seat. "No problem at all. So, whom did you meet last night?"

"No one." I looked at my plate, hoping she wouldn't notice my blush.

Soneera took my chin in her hand and turned my head so I had to look her in the eye. "Honesty is a Dinotopian value," she said gently.

I sighed. "All right, who tattled on me?"

Soneera looked surprised. "No one," she said. "Dinotopians don't tattle. I saw it on your face when you got home last night. So who was it?"

"Look, I don't want to say anything yet, okay? I don't need you making fun of me. And—"

"What makes you think I would make fun of you?"

I shrugged. "Everyone else would."

"I'm not so sure of that," Soneera said, "but go on."

"And I don't even know if he'll come back," I finished. "I mean, he said he would, but something might come up, or he might forget or… or worse, he might decide not to come back."

Soneera looked at me sadly. "What kind of place do you come from?"

I looked away. "It's fine if you're one of the chosen few," I said bitterly. "But if you're not, forget it."

"I see," Soneera said slowly. "So your society excludes people. How sad. Can you tell me more about your life? You've given me some incomprehensible statistics, but that's not an account of the experience of growing up there."

I shook my head. "It's probably better if I don't talk about it. I really don't think you'd understand. Things are so different here that none of those problems exists. When you come right down to it, _I'm _probably a statistic. A social statistic, anyway."

"Wow," Soneera said softly. "It must be pretty bad out there. If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. But if someday you want to tell me, I'll be ready to listen."

"Thanks." In my head, I examined the reasons for my reluctance to open up to Soneera. A lot of it simply was that I thought her life experience wouldn't give her the capacity to understand. Some of it was that I didn't fully understand it myself.

For me, growing up with money was a blessing in some ways and a curse in others. It was a blessing because it meant I had access to the best possible education and learning tools. But it was precisely that education that made it a curse.

My parents decided to send me to a fancy private school because they felt that the academic standards would be higher. They were, but what my parents didn't know was that the parents of the other kids in my school thought they were going to be using the school as a segregation academy. Those parents were not prepared for the fact that there might be wealthy minority students in their kids' school.

Being one of only a few nonwhites in the school had made my school years difficult. Most of my peers were being raised by parents who passed on racist attitudes, making it nearly impossible for kids like me to fit in. And when my classmates found out that my mother was white, that just made it worse because they started criticizing my mother for being a "sellout."

During my school years I had exactly three friends. We were not friends because we particularly had anything in common; we bonded together because we were all outcasts. We all had characteristics that were "wrong" in our peers' eyes: my racial makeup, and the fact that I was not particularly athletic in a school full of jocks and cheerleaders, were the reasons why I was marginalized. My friend Elizabeth weighed about three hundred pounds, and no one wanted to be seen with a "fat" person. My friend Tyesha was African-American, so she faced racism even worse than I did. And my friend Maura was in a wheelchair, so no one would talk to her for that reason. The four of us formed a little group that the rest of the school publicly referred to as "The Defective Merchandise Club."

College was better, of course, because the students had matured enough to be courteous and more accepting of people's differences. However, I still found it difficult to get close to people, since it seemed like everyone else already had a set of five best friends and didn't need any more. So the result was that I had a series of friendly acquaintances each semester that I invariably lost track of after final exams. Part of this difficulty may have been my fault, since my previous experiences had left me afraid to _try_ to get close to people. I timidly figured it was better to wait for people to seek _me_ out as their friend. I did not have the courage to risk further social rejection by asking any classmates, male or female, to hang out after class or study for an exam. I did end up in an occasional study group, but it was always the same: we'd have a nice time, I'd explain the material well enough for my acquaintances to get A's, and then they'd be gone, hanging out with their five best friends that they'd known since kindergarten.

I mulled this over while I ate my breakfast, thanking God or fate or whatever that I was here in Dinotopia now, where I had a second chance. People here were so open and friendly that I thought I might actually have a chance to form some real friendships that started for reasons other than mutual exclusion. Soneera seemed to be a real candidate for the role of "best friend," but I sincerely hoped that I would assimilate quickly so that I could stop being her surrogate child.

Thinking of Soneera as my "mother" made me giggle. "Um, Soneera, I was wondering. Do you mind my asking how old you are?"

"Not at all," she replied. "I'm in my first years of adulthood, just like you. I've recently finished my education and have started my career. I've lived on my own for about a year now."

"I guess you're a bit ahead of me, then," I said. "I had just finished college and was looking forward to graduate school. I was still living in a college dorm and going home to my parents for the summer. That's where a lot of twenty-two-year-olds are where I come from."

"Wow, you're twenty-two? In Dinotopia, most humans have finished their training started working their trades on their own by the age of eighteen, and saurians by fourteen or fifteen."

"Yikes, saurians must grow up fast," I observed.

Soneera laughed. "Yes, we do. Think of a brachiosaur, for instance. They go from being a five-pound infant to being a seventy-ton adult in sixteen short years. That's an awful lot of growing."

"I would say so," I agreed. Just thinking about it made my head spin. "Speaking of such things, I have loads of questions about life and culture here. May I go to the library with you today so I can do some research? I can't wait to start learning more about this place."

"Of course," Soneera replied. "I'll introduce you to the head librarians, a human named Adeiseli and a saurian named Thor. They will show you around and help you find answers to your questions."

"Thanks, that sounds great. Does Thor speak human?"

"Yes, he does. And Adeiseli is an ancient man; you'll find him a positive encyclopedia of information about history, science, everything."

"He sounds a bit like my grandfather," I said. "Just curious, but how old is 'ancient' here?"

Soneera laughed. "That depends on your perspective, I think. To a hatchling, I'm probably ancient, and I'm only seventeen. But Adeiseli is around a hundred and thirty; he won't tell anyone his exact age. It's his way of being mysterious."

"A hundred and thirty!?" I gasped. "How is that even possible?"

Soneera spread her hands. "How about if I give you a little homework assignment? When you get to the library, look up _Articum longevus_. It's commonly called 'trilobur.'"

"Okay," I said. "I'll ask Ad – Aday – er, Thor – about it, if I can remember how to pronounce either one of those names. Needless to say, I have no idea how to spell them, either."

Soneera laughed. "I'm sure they'll help you with the spelling. And the librarian's name is Adeiseli. Uh-DAY-sel-lee. He's a very nice old man."

"That's good," I said. "I hope he'll still be nice if I butcher his name."

"Goodness," Soneera said, shaking her head. "People must be awfully irritable where you come from."

"They sure are," I replied. "May I be excused?"

"Oh, please!" Soneera blurted, cracking up. "Will you stop treating me like your mother? I'm too young to have a kid your age!"

"Sorry," I said. "I guess I can't help it because I still know so little about life here. I mean, you are teaching me all the stuff that you would teach your own kid. Maybe if I learn a lot at the library today, I'll stop feeling like your surrogate child."

Soneera was laughing so hard she almost fell off her seat. "Oh, for Harmony's sake! I'm more like a big sister than a mother. You don't have to ask permission to leave the table or ask for something to eat. If you're hungry just go to the icebox and get something. You don't have to tell me where you're going, or when you will be back, or anything like that. I'll answer all your questions, but you need to learn to be independent. Forget your outside-world upbringing. Being independent and thinking for yourself are good here."

"That's good to know," I said. "I'm going to go get washed up," and disappeared into the washroom.

About ten minutes later, Soneera and I met at the front door and headed for the library. When we got there, I just stood in front of the building and stared.

The place was _huge._

A moment later, I was reminded of why. A brachiosaur, the largest I had yet seen, walked through the front door without even dipping his neck.

"Wow," I whispered to Soneera as we followed the huge saurian into the building. "Who is that?"

"His name is Brownback," Soneera replied. "He's one of the archivists, very knowledgeable. I work with him a lot."

"Does your neck get sore from looking way up at him all the time?"

"No. He bends down to the level of anyone smaller than he is, which is just about everybody." Soneera led me to a counter that had to be the great-granddaddy of the circulation desk at my university library. An old man with wild gray hair looked up from a book.

"Breathe deep, Soneera."

"Seek peace, Adeiseli. I'd like you to meet my friend Jenni. She is a dolphinback, and comes seeking answers to her questions about Dinotopia."

Adeiseli held his palm out. "Breathe deep, Jenni."

"Seek peace, Mr. Adeiseli." My pronunciation was a little shaky, but not too horrible.

"Just call me Adeiseli. Have you signed the registry yet?" he asked.

"What's the registry?"

"Oh, so you haven't signed it then. Come with me." Adeiseli emerged from behind the desk, and I followed him out of the room.

Adeiseli led me on a convoluted route that consisted of so many twists and turns that I wasn't sure whether we were still in the library or not. Our journey ended at a long scroll that contained an endless list of names from all over the world and dates of arrival.

"This is where all dolphinbacks register their arrival," Adeiseli explained. "After you have registered, you may begin your formal education. But I see you have a desire to do some independent research first, which is most laudable." He handed me a quill pen. "Here, sign in, and then I'll show you around the library."

I took the quill pen and looked at it. Never having used one before, I wasn't sure how to write with it. I placed the tip on the paper, but nothing happened. Adeiseli pushed an inkwell toward me. "Dip it in here," he said. Oops. Duh. I dipped the end of the feather in the ink and signed my name. _Jennica Lucia Martinez,_ I wrote. I had lost track of the date, so I just put June and the year. Then I handed the quill back to Adeiseli, who wiped it on a cloth and placed it back on the registry table.

Adeiseli took me back to the library – that is, if we'd left it – and showed me how to use the card catalog, which was utterly different, since most volumes were available in three versions: in human using the Latin alphabet, in human using the saurian footprint alphabet, and in Saurian.

I didn't know the footprint alphabet yet, so both the human/footprint volumes and the Saurian volumes were out of the question. Adeiseli showed me how to find books and scrolls written with Latin characters, and then said, "I'm going back to work. Ask me if you need anything."

"Okay, thanks." Adeiseli left the room, and I began my research. I had three principle questions: Number one, I wanted to find out what a skybax was and how people got to ride them. I knew vaguely what a pterosaur was from paleontology classes in college, but I found it hard to imagine one big enough to carry any human, let alone one as big as Oonu. I figured that the more I learned about the skybax, the more I would learn about this man I was rapidly falling in love with. Two, I wanted to know what the World Beneath was. Three, I wanted to know more about sunstones.

I looked through the card catalog, but I didn't find anything that said "The Basics of Dinotopian Society" or anything like that. I decided to find Adeiseli and ask for some help.

I found my way back to the circulation desk, but there was no one behind the desk. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I spun around to find myself face-to-face with a two-legged saurian with a mouthful of teeth!

"Aughhh!" In my haste to get away, I tripped over my own feet and landed on my butt. Terrified of this obviously carnivorous dinosaur, I scuttled backward like a crab.

"Easy," the saurian said. "Breathe deep. My name is Thor."

My breath escaped in one great "whoosh" of relief. I sagged back on the floor. "Oh, my god. You scared the living crap out of me."

"Sorry," said Thor. "I suppose you must be a dolphinback. I'm a _Deinonychus._ We are one of the tribes of civilized carnosaurs. We eat fish, not the flesh of land creatures. I am Adeiseli's assistant."

I climbed back to my feet, feeling like a complete idiot. If Soneera heard about this, she'd never let me live it down. "Breathe deep," Thor said again.

"Seek peace."

"Now, did you have a question before I almost gave you a heart attack?"

"Yes, I still do, actually. You are correct; I am new here. So I guess what I need is a crash course in Dinotopian culture. I looked in the card catalog, but I didn't find anything that seemed to be a primer for dolphinbacks."

"Ah," Thor replied, gesturing for me to follow. "I know just what you need. Arthur Denison's journal. His account of his and Will's arrival here will give you just the 'crash course' you're looking for." Thor turned to look at me, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Actually, I think you had your 'crash course' when you arrived here. Did your ship crash into the reef?"

"I was in an airplane crash. As far as I know, I'm the only one who survived."

"I have heard of airplanes. They are sky galleys that can travel all over the world, yes?"

"Um, I guess so." I had never heard of a sky galley, so I wasn't sure. And now I had another question to add to my research.

Thor led me to a shelf, where he removed three volumes in book form. "Here you are," he said. "Arthur Denison's journal, in three volumes. Enjoy your research."

"Thank you very much," I replied. "I really appreciate your help."

"Not a problem at all," Thor said, flashing me an extremely toothy grin. "That's what I'm here for. I'll be around if you need anything. Or you can ask Adeiseli; he's around too." Thor disappeared through a door to another part of the library.

Clutching Denison's journals, I found a seat that was the right size and shape for a human and crawled in. For the next several hours, I lost myself in the world of Denison's discovery and exploration of Dinotopia.

From the journal, I learned that a skybax was a mind-bogglingly enormous pterosaur that looked like a cross between a bat and a long-beaked water bird. A skybax was approximately three times the length of a man but weighed surprisingly little, only about three hundred pounds. This was because skybaxes had hollow bones.

Dinotopia had a vast network of caverns beneath it, known as the World Beneath. According to legend, the saurians had taken refuge there after dust from an asteroid impact millions of years ago had blotted out of the sun. Denison wrote in his journal that he also found evidence of later human occupations as well. One of the only known entrances to the World Beneath was at a place in the Amu River canyon called The Portal.

Denison also wrote about sunstones. It seemed from his writings that he and his fellow explorers were actually the discoverers of sunstones, which, according to legend, had been originally mined from the World Beneath. I found this amazing, since sunstones were so much a part of Dinotopian life today, and Denison's expedition only took place in the 1860s.

I also learned that Thor's "sky galleys" were similar to what I knew back home as gliders. They were used to carry people and small saurians into and out of Waterfall City and to and from a mountain retreat called the Tentpole of the Sky. One minor thing which I found to be of interest was that Denison's guide on his explorations, one Mr. Lee Crabb, referred to humans as "skinnies" and to saurians as "scalies." I presumed these were the Dinotopian equivalents of racial slurs, but I noted that I had never heard either term used in the streets.

Just as I was beginning to get hungry, Soneera walked into the reading room and said, "Come with me to the Dining Commons for lunch. They have excellent food there, and since you are new to Dinotopia, you will be introduced to the citizens of Waterfall City. That is important, since you have not had a proper welcome yet."

"Okay," I said. But inwardly I groaned. The last thing I needed was to be paraded around like a curiosity in front of a crowd of strangers. I had to keep reminding myself that this was Dinotopia; that here people would not be giggling and whispering behind their hands about my clothes, my skin color, or the way I wore my hair. But of course, what if someone recognized me from last night? That would let one very major cat out of one very major bag. _Don't think like that!_ I ordered myself angrily. _It was dark last night, and no one was paying attention. No one saw us. Besides, even of someone did, they'd be too polite to_ _make stupid remarks. I hope._

The Dining Commons was several blocks from the library. When Soneera and I arrived about ten minutes later, we sat down at a long table. There I was introduced to an assortment of Soneera's friends and colleagues, both human and saurian. They all welcomed me enthusiastically and told me to breathe deep and seek peace.

Soneera and I were sitting across from Sara and David, a married human couple. They explained that in Dinotopia marriage (or sometimes close friendship) is called _cumspiritik,_ a word derived from Latin that means "breathing together." When I asked Sara how she and David knew Soneera, Sara replied, "I work in the library – I'm a preserver of antiquities, so I work with Soneera quite often. David is a baker; he makes about forty percent of the bread consumed by Waterfall City."

"Wow," I said. "That's a lot of bread."

"Yes, it is," David said, "but I don't make it all myself. I have three apprentices, two of whom are saurians. And I have a _Diplodocus_ friend named Mikaia who delivers bread for me when she's not in a cross-basin caravan."

"What's it like to cross the Rainy Basin?" I asked. "I've been doing some reading, and they say that the caravans are sometimes attacked by carnosaurs."

"That's true," David said. "Mikaia says that angry T-rexes can be really hard to escape. She says that without skybax escorts, basin crossings would not be possible. I've crossed in caravan a couple of times myself, but thankfully I've never seen a T-rex attack."

"Is it dangerous for the skybax riders who fly those missions?" I asked, thinking of Oonu.

"It can be," Sara replied. "But usually the people riding the brachs are in more danger, because they can't fly away."

"What are brachs?"

"Brachiosaurs," Soneera answered. "A lot of names of saurian species are typically shortened; most people would call me a struthie. A trike is a _Triceratops_."

At that moment the food arrived. It was delicious; some kind of fried seafood – trilobite, Soneera said – served over a strange pasta with a salad made of all sorts of exotic greens on the side.

After everyone had been served and had had a chance to begin eating, a stegosaur walked to a speaking platform at the front of the room and stomped for attention.

"Breathe deep," he said after everyone had quieted down. "I have great news to share with you. This morning we officially welcomed our newest dolphinback at the registry."

_Oh, lord, here we go._

"I don't know anything about her," the steg continued, "except for the fact that she signed in this morning. Jennica Martinez, will you please come forward?"

_Oh, groan._ I had thought that maybe all they'd do would be mention my name, but no such luck. I stood up and walked to the front of the room.

As I approached, the steg said, "Breathe deep. My name is Spiketail. It is my honor to welcome you to Dinotopia on behalf of the citizens of Waterfall City."

"Seek peace," I replied. I don't think anyone behind the front row heard me.

"Jennica, at this point all we know about you is your name. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?"

"I'm from Richmond, Virginia," I said. "I was in a plane crash."

"How long have you been here in Dinotopia?"

"In Dinotopia, four days. I just arrived in Waterfall City yesterday."

"I see," Spiketail said. "On behalf of all the citizens of Dinotopia, and those of Waterfall City specifically, I wish you the warmest welcome to Dinotopia."

All these groups started coming forward to welcome me, festoon me with flowers, and serenade me with songs. A couple of saurians even tried to dance with me, but I had never been much of a dancer.

I felt like Dorothy being welcomed to Munchkinland. These groups weren't quite the Lullaby League and the Lollipop Guild, but some of them were pretty close. I looked around, half expecting someone to tell me to "Follow the Yellow Brick Road."

After about five minutes of embarrassing attention, the good citizens of Waterfall City allowed me to return to my seat. Thankfully, no one seemed to recognize me from last night.

You may be wondering why I was so reluctant to tell anyone, even Soneera, what had happened. The answer is simple. At that point I did not know whether things would work out. As long as I told no one, if it did not work out, it could just fail quietly and no one would have to know. So while I couldn't save myself from heartbreak, maybe I could protect myself from total social humiliation.

After lunch I returned to the library with Soneera. On the way back, she told me that I would begin my official studies the next day. "Finish all your research today, if you can," she told me. "You'll have plenty of regular homework once you start school."

"Okay," I said. "Oh, that reminds me. What was that stuff you wanted me to look up?"

"_Articum longevus._ Just say 'trilobur.' The librarians will know what you mean."

When Soneera left me at the library door, I made my way to the circulation desk. Adeiseli was there, deep in conversation with a blue-and-brown sauropod. I waited my turn. When the sauropod left, Adeiseli said, "Greetings, Jenni. How goes your research?"

"Fine, thank you. Uh, Soneera wants me to look up something."

Adeiseli joined me in front of the desk. "Certainly. What is it?"

"I'm not sure how to pronounce it. Trilo-something. I think it's supposed to make you live a long time."

"Ah, yes, trilobur," Adeiseli murmured, beaming. "Also known as _Articum longevus_. It is the secret to Dinotopian longevity. Come with me." He led me through a maze of shelves, until he pulled one old scroll from a niche near the floor. "Here it is," he said. "Everything you ever wanted to know about _A. longevus_ but didn't know how to ask."

I thanked Adeiseli and headed to the reading room. In the same seat I had occupied this morning, I began to read – or tried to read – about the trilobur plant. The scroll Adeiseli had given me was an exhaustive scientific description of the health benefits of the plant, written on such a high level as to be incomprehensible by anyone without a PhD in biology.

Basically, what I got out of it was this: trilobur was a plant that grew in cultivated patches all over Dinotopia. Once a year, its roots swelled up and got all funky-looking. A chemical compound that occurred naturally in these swollen roots could be made into a salve for cleaning wounds. The roots could also be ground up and brewed into a tea which greatly lengthened the human lifespan, sometimes to 250 years or more.

I found all this pretty hard to believe. But then, talking dinosaurs were pretty unbelievable too. _They_ were real, so that meant all that stuff about trilobur could be true as well.

I spent the rest of the afternoon simply reading anything that seemed interesting. This approach introduced me to all manner of Dinotopian legends, fairytales, and history. By the time Soneera and I left the library that evening, my brain felt so saturated with knowledge that I thought it was going to explode.

Soneera and I shared a simple supper at home. Then, exhausted, I retired quickly to bed. As soon as I closed my eyes, images of Oonu filled my mind. I remembered his face, his voice, his touch. The events of the previous evening replayed in my memory as if my brain had turned into a VCR. I fell asleep wondering when he would come back, wishing he were here with me now.

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Please read and review. Flames welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Dinotopia and I don't want to. I have not and will not make any money off this story. Basically what I'm trying to do is reconcile some of the conflicts between the books and the miniseries. The M rating is for material to appear in later chapters.

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Waking up the next morning was a complete letdown. I had been having a passionately romantic dream about Oonu, when the scene faded and I opened my eyes, finding myself alone. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get back into Oonu's arms, but it was no use. I was awake.

Making a cranky noise, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. As I woke up more fully, I remembered that I was to start my formal schooling today. Well, at least that would be interesting. I still had a lot to learn about Dinotopia before I could stop being a burden on Soneera. She insisted that I wasn't a burden, but I felt like one just the same.

After breakfast Soneera walked me to school. As we approached, I could see a young woman, probably around my age, who had to be the teacher, with a gaggle of human students gathered around her.

She looked up as we approached. "Breathe deep," she said. "You are Jennica, yes?"

I nodded. "Seek peace."

"My name is Arianna," the teacher continued. "I will be your teacher, and these are your classmates."

I looked around at my classmates, all of whom seemed to be about eight years old. Oh, great. Well, I suppose it made sense, since my Dinotopian education was currently on the same level as a small child's. Still, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy being in class with a bunch of patty-cake playing kids.

Arianna led us into the classroom and we sat down at wooden desks arranged facing each other in four rows. Arianna stood in the middle of the room and addressed the class.

"Breathe deep," greeted Arianna.

"Seek peace," the whole class chorused together.

"Before we begin," Arianna continued, "we should introduce ourselves to our new student. Please begin," she said to a young boy seated at the end of the second row on the left side of the classroom.

"My name is Mark," the boy said. The introductions went around the room, with each child saying his or her name. When it was my turn I said, "My name is Jennica. My friends call me Jenni."

The child seated to my left, a little girl named Anastasia, smiled up at me shyly. "Wow, you must be old," she said. "Are you a dolphinback?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm here to learn the Dinotopian Way, just like you."

Arianna deposited a couple of books on my desk. "These are your textbooks," she said. Addressing the rest of the class, she continued, "Recite the Code of Dinotopia."

The children began to speak as one, as if reciting a prayer in church. The code, I discovered, was a list of instructions on how to live in the Dinotopian Way. I listened closely as the children recited:

"Survival of all or none.

One raindrop raises the sea.

Weapons are enemies even to their owners.

Give more, take less.

Others first, self last.

Observe, listen, and learn.

Do one thing at a time.

Sing every day.

Exercise imagination.

Eat to live, don't live to eat.

The final code," the class finished, "is missing."

"And what are the last five letters of the code?" Arianna asked. "Anastasia?"

"'Don't p…'" Anastasia quoted.

I gave the eight-year-old a surprised look. "Don't _what_?" I repeated.

"The first letter of the word is P," she whispered. "My mother says she thinks the rest of the code is 'Don't pee in the bath,' but I think it's 'Don't push your friends.'"

"Somehow I think your idea makes more sense," I whispered back.

We spent the rest of the morning continuing a class discussion about the codes that had clearly begun many days before. I had the impression that the primary purpose of this class was to learn how to put these codes into practice in everyday life. A lot of the examples given by members of the class were distinctly eight-year-old in character, but they all made a lot of sense. I wished that outside-world kids were put through such a class.

The discussion went around the room the same way the introductions had, except this time each child commented on the meaning of a different code. Mark said that "Survival of all or none" meant that your life wasn't worth as much if you didn't have the courage to risk it to save someone else.

"'One raindrop raises the sea,'" a child named Maria quoted. "This means that everyone can change the world. Even the smallest thing affects everything else."

"'Weapons are enemies even to their owners,'" Aidan stated, "because they are enemies to their victims because they get killed, and they are enemies to their owners because they make their owners killers."

The code went around the class, and when one student spoke on the last code, the next student started again with "Survival of all or none." When it was my turn, I got "Eat to live, don't live to eat." I thought a moment, then said, "'Eat to live, don't live to eat' means that eating is a pleasure as long as you don't do too much of it. In the outside world we say 'Everything in moderation,' and I guess this is sort of the same thing. It's about willpower and self control."

Arianna smiled at me. "Quite impressive for a newcomer. I think you will fit in well here."

The children clapped, and I smiled down at my desk.

Arianna took us to the Dining Commons for lunch. We all sat together at one long table, but I saw Soneera in the distance, so I waved. She waved back. After lunch Arianna began drilling us on the saurian footprint alphabet. I was behind, of course, but I caught up fairly quickly, since catching up with a bunch of eight-year-olds was nowhere near as difficult as catching up with a group of adults.

By the end of class that day I could recognize nearly ten letters on sight, and when I got home I went straight to my room, eager to study some more. I looked at the books Arianna had given me. One was on the footprint alphabet and was full of reading exercises for beginners. The other was a book in the Latin alphabet called _The Care and Teaching of Humans._

Putting that book aside for now, I picked up the footprint book and finished memorizing the alphabet. I practiced by writing out the alphabet from A to Z on a piece of paper, using a cute little footprint stamp that Arianna had given me. After I had written it out perfectly for the third time in a row, it was suppertime, so I took a break to eat with Soneera.

When I finished my dinner I returned to my room. I started working through the reading exercises Arianna had assigned for homework, and discovered that even though I had memorized the alphabet, actually using it was difficult. At this point I could not yet simply look at a word and recognize it as a discreet unit; I still had to look at each letter individually and translate, letter by letter, in my head. It was slow going, but I managed to answer all the questions in the exercises.

Having finished the footprint assignment, I picked up _The Care and Teaching of Humans_ and lay down on my bed to read it. The book was a real eye-opener for me, since it was written from the saurian point of view. The first chapter was on the arrival of the first humans in Dinotopia in 2874 B.C. The saurians' first impression of humans was that, while we may not have been the sharpest tools in the shed, we were not complete morons, either. "Humans," a saurian named Ishtaku wrote thousands of years ago, "are a bellicose species, prone to division and fighting. They are fairly intelligent, though not intelligent enough to avoid uncivilized and savage behavior. If they are to coexist with us, they must be taught to breathe deep and seek peace, and to forsake their violent ways."

Subsequent chapters in the book talked about methods saurians had used over the millennia to train violence out of their human neighbors. Humans, the book said, must spend many hours in the company of saurians during their formative years. Amashaduk, a triceratops who spent most of his life studying humans, wrote that humans learn best by example, and the best example, of course, is a saurian.

By the time I finished reading the third chapter, I was getting tired, so I put the book down and got ready for bed. I fell asleep daydreaming about Oonu.

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Please read and review. Flames welcome.


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